Ashraf AboArafe
In a scene where the winds of East and West converge, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Busan on the morning of October 30 (local time) — a meeting widely seen as a new waypoint in the voyage of relations between the world’s two largest powers.
During their talks, President Xi Jinping called for steering China–U.S. relations “like a great ship sailing forward with steadiness and purpose amid waves and storms.” He noted that since President Trump’s re-election, the two sides have maintained close and constructive communication through phone calls and exchanges of letters, preserving overall stability in bilateral ties.
Xi highlighted that the economic and trade teams of both countries had recently held a new round of consultations in Kuala Lumpur, reaching basic consensus on key issues of concern — a development that paved the way for their in-person meeting.
“China and the United States differ in national conditions, and it is only natural for frictions to occur between the two largest economies,” Xi remarked. “What matters most is that President Trump and I, as captains of this great vessel, hold firm to the right course and guide our nations toward stable and sound progress.”
The Chinese leader emphasized that China’s “rejuvenation” and Trump’s vision to “Make America Great Again” need not clash, but could complement and uplift one another, adding that the partnership between the two countries is both a lesson from history and a demand of reality.
“China and the United States can achieve mutual success and shared prosperity,” Xi affirmed. “I am ready to work with President Trump to lay a solid foundation for our bilateral relationship and create favorable conditions for the development of both nations.”
Touching on global challenges, President Xi commended Trump’s active efforts to address regional issues, stressing that both sides bear a shared responsibility as major powers to tackle pressing global problems together.
“There are many difficult issues in the world today,” Xi said. “China and the United States can shoulder their responsibilities jointly — accomplishing more meaningful, practical, and beneficial work for our countries and for humanity.”
For his part, President Trump expressed his readiness to open a new chapter in China–U.S. relations, describing cooperation between Washington and Beijing as a vital path toward global peace and prosperity.
